Mana, India’s Last Village Where The Iconic Mahabharata Comes Alive

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Mana village, called the last village of India, is located in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand at an elevation of 3,200 metres. It lies on the banks of river Saraswati, and is just five-kilometres away from the famous Hindu pilgrimage Badrinath, and 24 kilometres from the Indo-China border. Even the shopkeepers here sell products with the title ‘the last village’.

As per Hindu mythology, The Mahabharata, it is believed that the Pandavas crossed the Mana village during their final journey to heaven. There is also a stone bridge called Bheema Pul near River Saraswati that’s believed to have been built by one of the Pandava brothers, Bheema.

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Mana village is in itself a very awesome and satisfying experience. This term, “India’s last village” overcomes both your mind as well as your heart, and giving that adventurous spark in you, with a sense of accomplishment too. The moment you step foot on its ground, the vividness of nature as it is surrounded by the Himalayas and is on the banks of the river Saraswati grasps your attention. Situated in Chamoli district at an elevation of 3200 m in Uttarakhand, Mana village lies on the banks of Saraswati river, and is around 4 km from the famous Hindu pilgrimage centre Badrinath. This beautiful hamlet is 24 km from the Indo-China border, making it the last village of India. If you ever visit the place, you’ll notice the shopkeeper’s in the region selling their products, using the title ‘last village’ like ‘India’s Last Tea and Coffee Corner’, which is quite interesting and amusing at the same time. It is also believed that the Pandavas (the five mythological characters from the epic Mahabharata) passed through Mana Village when they made their final journey to heaven. Bheem lifted rocks inorder to make Draupadi cross the river Saraswati and leave towards heaven.The place still also has a stone bridge near the Saraswati River, called the ‘Bheema Pul’, which is believed to be created by Bheema, one of the five Pandava brothers. Mana village is accessible and ipen for only half of the year i.e. May- October. The entire region receives heavy snowfall in the winter months and the villagers migrate to lower altitudes during the winter months. #mana #manavillage #india #badrinath #chamoli #uttarakhandheaven #uttarakhand_141 #uttarakhandexplorer #himalayas #hippieinhills #wanderer #explore #indiagram #igers #photooftheday #travel #travelblogger #rfr #r4r #l4l #f4f #likeforlikes #followforfollowback

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The place has many tourist attractions such as the Neelkanth park also known as the Queen of Garhwal, which is a snow-clad peak towering the Badrinath Temple. Another one is Tapt Kund, that is believed to be the holy abode of Agni – the Lord of Fire, having medicinal properties which the locals say could cure many skin-related diseases.

Moreover, just nine kilometres from Badrinath Temple lies the picturesque Vasundhara waterfalls, which is believed to have been home to the Pandavas for some time when they were in exile. The village has one more attractive tourist spot called the Vyas Gufa. It was here that Ved Vyas — renowned scholar and writer — composed the famous four Vedas. The cave has a small shrine dedicated to him, and believed to be 5,000 years old.

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Mana village has many interesting options for trekkers and hikers, like from Mana to Vasundhara, Mana to Mana Pass, and Mana to Charanpaduka. The village can easily be accessed from Haridwar junction that lies at a distance of approximately 275 kilometres, and Dehradun railway station, which is around 315-kilometres away.

Last year, the village was also awarded the ‘best clean, iconic tourist destination’ under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) at the Swachh Mahotsav 2019, held in the national capital.